Analysis of capability, motivation and opportunity to prevent substance abuse in sensation seeking students on the outskirts of a city in Eastern Iran: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Usually, substance abuse begins in adolescence in Iran. Young people who score high on the sensation-seeking trait tend to be more prone to substance abuse and an early experience in using. According to the COM_B model, substance abuse can be observed in situations where a person has the necessary physical and mental abilities, the necessary opportunities, and competing motivations. Therefore the study aimed to deeper understand of capability, motivation, and opportunities of substance abuse behavior to design educational programs. Methods This study was conducted based on content analysis approach. Data were collected through a focus group discussion with 18 participants (high school male students) from the outskirts of Birjand, who received a positive score from the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Questionnaires' summary form. The group discussion was conducted using a guide to semi-structured questions based on COM-B model constructs. Results Students' knowledge of substance cognition, side effects, and consequences of addiction were incomplete. Some students believed that substance use was a way to control or vent emotions and that smoking was a sedative, and private spaces and uncrowded public places were physical environments that students cited for engaging in substance use. In the analysis, 24 subcategories and 11 categories were identified for the capability analysis section, 16 subcategories and 7 categories for the motivation section, and 21 subcategories and 6 categories for the opportunity section. Conclusions In order to achieve more precise prevention interventions against adolescents' tendency for substance abuse and to have a more significant impact on their behaviors, it is beneficial to study the three identified factors in some of the target individuals before intervention.

Development and psychometric validation of substance abuse prevention Questionnaire based on the multi-theory model: construct validity and reliability

“…[17][18][19] It appears that the results of this study are contrary to the results of Bashirian's study reporting that the effect of change in the social environment was not signi cant for hookah smoking. [18,20] The participants in this study who lived in a suburb of the city and were from the middle class of the society are economically poorer, probably they have raised the need for social support in terms of family and friends as important and more effective. In the initiation of behavior change, participatory dialogue showed the second determining percentage in this study.…”